Thursday, April 10, 2014

How To Choose Play Scripts For Kids

By Anita Ortega


For many people, the highlight of the school calendar is the annual school play. This is the one time that every child can have a chance to shine, even if it's in a minor role like that of a tree or a rock. Staging the production can be a stressful experience if you're the teacher entrusted with the job but if you know how to choose the most suitable play scripts for kids, half the battle is won already.

It's very important for the production to be suitable for the target audience. If the show is to be performed mainly for young children, you need to choose something that is short enough to hold their attention and that has lots of colors and movement. Parents and audiences of high-school age will prefer a production that is a little more sophisticated.

It's also important to think about the skills of your actors. If they're in high school, they're usually perfectly capable of learning longer, more difficult lines and can easily handle a Shakespeare play or another theatrical classic. The younger your actors are, however, the simpler the script should be because they not only need to understand it but also to remember their dialogue.

Your budget will be one of the main deciding factors when choosing which production to stage. When you need to keep things economical, it's often better to opt for a smaller production that's set in contemporary times. It tends to be cheaper and easier to simply buy costumes from the discount store or to let the cast wear clothes they already have than to try and create something from scratch.

Another consideration is the venue where the play will be performed. A small, intimate production with a cast of less than ten will simply 'disappear' on the stage of an auditorium seating a thousand people. Likewise, a musical with chorus lines won't work if it's staged in a classroom. Look at the venue and see how easily you'll be able to create a convincing set too. If you're planning on staging a fairy tale, for instance, it can be extra atmospheric if it's performed on an outdoor stage surrounded by trees and shrubs.

You may also want to consider the message you want the production to convey. If bullying is a problem in your school, the play may be a great opportunity to educate the kids about the consequences of not treating others with compassion and respect. Diversity is a great theme to use too.

There are many benefits to allowing and encouraging children to take part in a stage production. They get to express themselves artistically and creatively and they can develop their verbal as well as their physical skills. Moreover, they learn important life skills such as how to work well with others to achieve a shared goal.

It's not very difficult to find a script that is perfect for your needs. If you'd rather not write your own, you'll easily find plays in the library or online. Bear in mind that many require a performance license, so if your budget is tight, you may prefer to opt for a free script instead.




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